Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-02-05

American ports against Canadian products until
an1rterpretation more In accordance with human
ty ana clvihzason Shall be given to the treaty OF
1878 by the Canadian authorities, many OF the
PROVINCIAL editors have devoted considerable
space in their respective journals to prove that
the Canadian inshore fisheries and the privilege Of
buying bait and other supplies in Canadian ports
are absolutely indispensable to the American fish,
ermen; and that IL Canada should insist upon
strict and vigorous enforcement OF the treaty,
which they say she must do In Self-defense II the
retaliatory measures become law, It would be
the death-blow to the American fisheries and
would finally result in the disappearance of our
American seamen gone our navy would be placed
at a great disadvantage in any emergency. They
urge further that even now we are dependent
upon the Canadfan-cauSht fish for our supply. and
that to close our markets against them would be
to deprive our people OF the privilege OF obtaining
fish TO eat.
Two reasons are apparent for these peculiar
statements on the part OF the Canadian papers.
In the first place. the approaching elections render
sented to the voters OF the Provinces in favor OF
the action Of the present government. Again, the
bill has not yet been acted upon by the House and
assuming that the western and southern members
who form no small percentage OF that body are not
to any considerable extent acquainted with the
fisheries they are indulsfng themselves in the vain
hope that majority OF the members from the sec
ttons named may be deluded into believing their
statements.
WHAT THE FISH COMMISSION SAYS.
With view to ascertaining the facts in the
case, representative Of THE STAR called upon the
United States fish commission for information.
He found that Prof. Baird has been fully alive to
the gravity OF the situation, and has gotten to-
gether vast quantity OF facts and figures bearing
upon the subject. For several months his out
going mail has been loaded with letters of INQUIRY
and statistical blanks and his incoming mails have
been filled with replies OF most interesting char
acter, covering all phases of the fishery question.
v~r nipanrN of.nr >Aan hA.l
ferred to Mr. T. Edward Earll. in charge OF the
division OF fisheries, and since his return from a
trip along the New England coast, where he went
at the request OF Prot Baird to make a personal
investigation OF the subject much Of his time has
been given to examining, arranging and dlgeSting
this correspondence.
A half hours conversation with Mr.. Earll would
convince even a Canadian editor that the United
States is not so wholly dependent in this matter
question Of the tnshore Canadian fisheries, Mr.
Earll claims that the American fishermen, with
the single exception OF the on-shore mackerel feet
have
NO DESIRE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FISHERIES
within three OR even thirty miles OF the Canadian
coast, and that during the years when they were
allowed by treaty to fish in shore waters they did
not avail themselves OF the opportunity. The
herring vessels that visited Fortune bay, on the
south coast OF Newfoundland, and other localities
where the treaty OF 1918 and all subsequent ones,
give unlimited privileges Of fishing, found 1t de-
sirable, even when carrying the nets for catching
".
Some years ago majority OF our mackerel vessels
hShed in the Gulf OF st. Lawrence but for the ten
years preceding 1886 these fish have been much
more abundant on our own coast than in prOvin-
cial waters, and the number OF American vessels
fishing in the Gulf OF Sc. Lawrence grew constantly
smaller until In 1Ssl only two American vessels
fShed in that locality, and the following season
the number was reduced to single vessel, the re-
mainder OF the feet, numbering upwards OF three
hundred SAIL fishing
EXCLUSIVELY OFF THE NEW ENGLAND COAST.
n,yyfn Noo<
bered about $50 sail, of which not Tar from 200
visited Canadian waters during some portion of
the year. this change In the locality OF the fishery
being due to the movements OF the fish. which, for
some reason as yet unexplained, returned to the
'a ccarne d tc The laws oT natipns reganess n,
any treaty that may be made, we are allowed to
fish outside OF the three-mile limit, and during the
Lawrence f1Shed exclusively beyond this limit;
the statistics OF the catch showing that they did
equally Wen and In many instances better than
the Canadian vessels that were allowed to fish
without restriction as TO distance from shore. In
fact, since the Introduction 1t is i'm
possible for our vessels to fish IN shoa water as the
SeineS, which are upwards of a hundred feet deep
and have an average value OF $500 to 81 900 each
would be liable TO serious injury, IL not to total
destruction by becoming entangled with the rough
ocean bottom.
THE BAIT QUESTION.
The privilege OF buying bait and provisions in
Canadian ports is unquestionably Of some import
ance; and the United States claim that they al
ready have this right under existing treaties; but
1t is not, according to Mr. Earll SO indispensable
to our fleet as the Canadians would have US sup
pose.
That the privilege of obtaining bait in provincial
ports Is a necessity would be hard to prove. Even
when no question was raised as to our right to pur-
chase anything and everything, the great majOrity
of our fishing vessels never
THE NEW ENGLAND FOOD FISH FLEET
consists at present OF about $50 sail. OF these
about 75O vessels are engaged in miscellaneous
shore and onshore fisheries, $50 in the oi1shore
mackerel fisheries, 200 in the cod fisheries on
Quereau Grand and Western banks. 165 in the
cod fisheries on Georges and Browns banks, and
65 In the offshore halbut fisheries OF this entire
feet only those vessels engaged In the ofshore COO
purchasing bait in the provinces. The halibut
vessels, however, carry only enough bait
matnder of their cargo sobtained on cod. haddock
and other fish caught on the travis with the hail.
but. Since the restrictions placed upon the pur-
Nova Scotia, they have obtained their supply at
home without difficulty before sailing, and can
easily continue to do So or the goldfish fleet,
also obtained their bait in home ports with
out dificulty during the past season. We are thus
fieet Of aOo sail employed in fishing for cod on
Grand, Quereau and Western banks or these about
40 belong TO Gloucester, Mass, and the remaining
Maine and Massachusetts. Nearly all Of the last
named vessels, even when there was no question
about their rights OF enjoying commercial privi-
legeS in provincial ports, carried salt clans from
home to be used as bait in fishing, and seldom
entered British North American ports for
any purpose, except. In occasional instances
where they touched at certain localities
to ship men Gs 1saf to repair owners
to fish with salt CLAIMS than to take the
time necessary to make the run OF from nifty to
two hundred miles from the fishing grounds to the
nearest port where bait could be obtained. Some
of the Gloucester owners agree that, all things
considered, salt bait would be found more ecOnOm-
ical, but a majority have claimed that fresh bait
was preferable, as by its use more and larger f1Sh
could be obtained. and the fishermen OF this port,
winter months or were formerly residents there,
and still have many relatives and acQuaintanceS
at different points along the New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia shores, being anxious to visit these
localities, have insisted that fresh bait was
cesity, and that it was more easily obtained there
tice almost universal among the Gloucester heet
and even when owners were in favor OF using salt
bait they have yielded to the wish OF the fisher
men In the matter. A very large percentage of the
owners now agree that, all things considered, 1t
would be
MUCH BETTER 10 CARRY SALT BAT
than to suffer the loss which results from the
decentralization Of the crews while In Canadian
ports, and the time wasted In getting to and from
the fishing grounds, and they will certainly adopt
this method IL the ann0yanceS to American YES
sells are continued.
AS regards provisions they can easily carry
detention, will last during an ordinary voyage,
and humanity demands that when short OF food
they should be allowed to obtain It.
GLUT OF FIsH.